It was so nice to see the sun today.
After the last episode of Downton Abbey, there was a show about the Queen’s garden. It got me really hankering for spring! It will be a long time before I can get working out here:
It has been a gray winter thus far, but those times when the sun comes out it feels like maybe we can get through winter.
I think my job also has been playing a role a bit as well, not to mention all the crap stuff going on in the world lately. One of the accounts I work on is a hematology/oncology account and for the past couple of months it has seemed busier and busier with cancer. Everyone has cancer. Of course, I realize that they wouldn’t be seeing the oncologist if they didn’t have it, but with report after report coming through it seems like no one can escape it. The hardest part is that you will sort of get to know a patient when they come in weekly or more often for therapy for many weeks. It’s hard to watch people go through the treatments and not get any results or the side effects are just too much and they quit chemo, knowing full well what that means. Some days there are many more clean bills of health and those days are good, but this holiday season it seemed like there were so many more new diagnoses at the holidays of cancer.
Anyway, that is neither here nor there and it’s just a part of my job. This is about as close to patients as I think I could deal with emotionally. I don’t know how doctors and nurses do it day after day.
On a good note, my spiralzer arrived yesterday. This is pretty nifty, I have to say. I think I will talk about it further in another post because there are a lot of nice things about it, but here was the first thing I did with it:
This was a sweet potato. It spiraled super easy. I have a bajillion recipes to try, but I stuck to simple pan sauteeing for these for the first time. It took about 10 minutes or so until they were softened, which is pretty fast cook time for a sweet tater! I tossed them around in the pan and that broke the strands, but the taste was good:
Served along side salmon for me, veggie patty for John. We both really liked these and definitely will help us eat more veggies. I have to admit that I cannot wait to try frying some LOL!
After a gym workout last night, I got home and made a snack with the spiralizer. I used the ‘chipper’ and put a pear in it. I didn’t core the pear. I just pulled the stem out and the blossom end.
Check that out! There was no waste core left on the pear at all and just the end, which I will show you after I took a bite out of it 😀
I might get a corer to deseed the fruit, but it sliced right through any seeds. And sad Bronco nails, which I removed today… just like the Broncos did with their head coach!
So yea, I like this tool and the newer version is compact and has less waste. I defnitely need to do a better review of it when I get some time.
I’ll leave you with this shot of Pixie.
John said she looks like she is relaxing in an innertube 😀
I have a date with the bike trainer tonight. We wanted to go out, but it is bitter cold and even coffee can’t entice us out! Instead, I will be riding and listening to Serial. I am the last one to finish this podcast? I have listened to 9 episodes so far.
I got a spiralizer and planned on making zucchini “pasta” with it. The problem is that it wasn’t really big enough and if the zucchini was too large it didn’t fit to make the noodles. I was really disappointed by that. But I need to give it another try before I completely give up on the concept…
Sorry you are feeling “grey”. I know the feeling. Hang in there! At least the snow looks pretty. 🙂
Do you have a Paderno? It has a pretty big blade, so I think you can do a fairly large zuke in it. I have a small one because that is the size available in the stores now. I feel like I want to spiralize everything now! 😀
I bought an apple slicer type contraption that was supposed to do this of thing; however, it is a piece of junk! I would love to hear more about yours.
It’s the Paderno and I am really happy with it so far. I couldn’t believe how easily it did the sweet potato – almost like it was already cooked and not raw.
Lori, I enjoyed listening to Serial, it was my walking companion in my neighborhood over the holidays. I used to work on the tech side for a hospice and I agree with you, I don’t know how the doctors and nurses care for people day after day.
I enjoy your posts, my sister lives near Albany so it gives me a little peak into what that part of the world is looking like!
Yeah, it’s cold here. And snowy. When is spring??
Such a cute Pixie pic…. I’m just a sucker for them. And the spiralizer looks great
Still love Pixie, and I have never met her! What a sweetheart!
It’s cold here too, but I agree, when the sun comes out, it’s much more bearable. I think our long winter last year and early winter (at least in MN) this year has made this season less tolerable.
My sister says that Pixie is not very nice LOL! She is a little cool with other people, but she adores John and I.
The Pixie pictures are always just the perfect ending to my day! My grandcat, Edith, looks a lot like Pixie! Long haired calico…and, it must be hard for you to have to face the big C everyday in your work…glad you have lots of fun stuff to focus on…(wallpaper removal…LOL)
Yes, wallpaper removal. Much fun LOL!
Pixie is modestly covering her harbl. 🙂
Surpringly modest since she usually lets it all hang out 😀
OH I CANNNOT WAIT FOR YOUR SPIRALIZING POST.
I have one here too.
still in the box.
No you’re not the last person to listen to Serial. Didn’t you see my FB status about that? I thought I was the last person to listen to it for sure! I just finished episode 10 this morning. I’ve been sort of hoarding them for the treadmill because I need something to keep me going.
You guys got quite a bit of snow. We had about 3 inches but when it rained all day Monday it took most of it away. There is one stubborn spot in my front yard but that always happens. I was glad for the mess to be out of the driveway though.
I remember that now. I am almost done with the podcast now. It left me more troubled than anything else.
We don’t have a ton of snow. It all melted at Christmas and this is all new stuff. I remember last year it would just keep coming and not melting!
I don’t listen to podcasts so you are definitely the last one 🙂
Could also be the time of year added to all the things you have mentioned that you are feeling not yourself. Lots of people have that in January, holidays are over and Spring is just so long away. Hang in there, you will be making that garden beautiful before you know it.
I just wish there was more sun. Then it wouldn’t feel so long LOL! At least the days are getting longer now, though.
Pixie…:D The spiralizer looks neat!
The spiralizer is really cool!
Hmm…I didn’t realize that the spiralizer could do other things, too. I like the chipper feature!!!
We are back to gray today – I agree that this winter has been arctic and dismal – I try not to wish time away but I”m ready for winter to be over!!
Yes – the spiralizer has 4 blades on it and you can manipulate the veggie/fruit also to get the chips or curly fries, noodles, etc.
I haven’t listened to Serial yet – planning on it during a knitting session when there’s nothing good to watch on TV (right now, there’s enough good stuff on so I’m saving it). Glad you are enjoying your spiralizer. Stop making it look good. 😉
Shelley – this spiralizer is really fun! I don’t like a cluttered kitchen and what sold me on this device is that is packs away neatly and I can store it in the cupboard without taking up a lot of room. Oh wait… I was supposed to keep you from wanting it, wasn’t I?
I have spiralizer envy! Mine is not nearly so good as yours. I will put it on my Amazon wish list!
I haven’t listened to Serial yet. I think I read Helen’s comment on FB and that was the first time I”d ever heard of it.
Pixie’s a crack-up. I was going to say the same thing about it looking like she was trying to be a little modest.
I wonder if I can see that special about the Queen’s garden on PBS. I don’t have snow, but the garden does look so pitiful right now.
I didn’t know about the PBS special, but for some reason our DVR recorded it with DA as part of the masterpiece stuff.
I came to your blog just to see if there are any fresh Pixie pics! 🙂 Pixie looks inquisitive in the picture, I assume she wants her belly rubs?
I’d like to have my own spiralizer. Too bad Amazon doesn’t ship them to Finland…
Pixie looks like she’s floating on a raft about to ask for her Mai Tai…. She must be basking in the
warmth of that heater…lol…. I like the idea of a spiralizer …. I’d like to try zuchinni noodles.. lol
I’ve never heard of Serial … what is it exactly?? I watched the Queen’s Garden too but i did not watch Downton Abbey… the Queen’s Garden was fabulous though… I think i watched it on PBS… so Debby might keep a lookout for it because they often play the shows again.. Stay warm girlie! Hugs! deb
The snow and the sun are SO pretty!!!! LOL at Pixie. When Neva does that, we call it her “floating otter” pose. We also think she’s a “lady” because her tail is tucked up between her legs for modesty. LOL!
As you know, we are dealing with cancer here & have in the pst – UGH!
OK – PIXIE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUN with that spiralizer!!!
January oh January will you never end. Imagine we feel that way, and it is only the middle of the month. The hard part for me, is that I would like to go snowshoeing, but not in subzero temps.
I have no idea what you’re even talking about, ha ha. I am completely NOT aware of the land of podcasts. yet 🙂
Can’t wait for the spiralizer recap. Any way to make veggies more fun I will take!
I thought for sure you were going to deep fry the sweet potatoes – I bet they would be good. I just use my veggie peeler to core fruit – turns out pretty good!
Love Pixie!!
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